The present invention is an improvement to the "Plier Type Ratchet Wrench" shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,941,017, though its gist is not limited just to that particular type of ratchet wrench. The basic purpose of the invention is to provide a sort of "universal joint" between the wrench and socket, which joint is an integral part of the wrench rather than a separate attachment as is typical.
It is, of course, old and well-known to provide a ratchet wrench with a drive shaft which has a limited amount of flex or "universal joint" action relative to the wrench itself. This has been achieved by, for instance, forming a sort of "ball joint" between the driven end of the drive shaft and the ratchet, rotation of the shaft relative to the ratchet being prevented by suitable means, such as splines. But so far as is known, no such wrench also provides at the same time a limited amount of "universal joint" action between the shaft and the socket.